


A New Day

by lilly_the_kid



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Intimacy, Introspection, M/M, Pining, Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:34:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29361105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilly_the_kid/pseuds/lilly_the_kid
Summary: John looked at Arthur and tried to guess what he was thinking.After the train robbery in chapter 2 John and Arthur went back to camp together and made a little stop along the way.
Relationships: John Marston/Arthur Morgan
Comments: 6
Kudos: 31
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	A New Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [unavoidedcrisis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/unavoidedcrisis/gifts).



> I saw your requests and had this idea. I hope you'll enjoy!

They stopped at a river to let the horses drink and rest for a moment. 

"We should really lay low for a bit. Maybe get some sleep before we go back to camp." John looked at Arthur and tried to guess what he was thinking. Usually that was the only option he had. Arthur wasn't exactly much of a talker. And he was especially not fond of talking to him. 

Arthur pressed his lips together and frowned. John was sure he would decline. Or maybe suggest they should split up. He prepared himself for the inevitable sting he would feel then. Even though he should be used to Arthur being dismissive ever since he got back, it still hurt. And he hated that. He wished he could just turn off any kind of feeling concerning Arthur. The way Arthur had obviously been able to with regard to him.

"Fine." 

For a moment John wasn't sure he heard that right. He turned towards Arthur and was met with an annoyed glare. 

"Well?"

"Well, what?" Damnit, John thought. Arthur had a way of making him unsure of everything. With anybody else he would have no problem talking rationally about a plan. But here he was acting like a fool.

"Well, where should we go?" Arthur was talking very slowly, as if to make sure even John would be able to understand. Maybe his glare hadn't been annoyed but more amused. Maybe both.

"You've been out and about a lot. I'm sure you know this area better than me." John expected some ridicule or maybe a straight up insult, but he got neither. 

"There's this small clearing in a forest not far from here. Should be perfect. Follow me." Arthur didn't wait for a reply. He turned his horse around and got going. 

After a few minutes they arrived at the spot and John had to admit that it was perfect for the night. Arthur put up his tent. Once he was done he looked at John.

"You don't have a tent?"

"No." John bit his lip. He hadn't expected to be forced to cover so many miles ditching the law. The train job had been supposed to be fast and clean with them being able to return to camp right away. He didn't say any of that, though. Not that it really mattered.

Arthur sighed.

"It's ok. We can share, I guess."

"Ok." John didn't know what else to say. He hadn't expected that. It wasn't like they hadn't done that before. They had. Many times. They'd done a lot more than just share a tent. And then he'd fucked everything up by leaving. And that thought hurt. It was like picking at an old wound, making sure it would never fully heal. 

They didn't talk much for the rest of evening. They ate something and watched the sky turn pink, then faded, then dark. They went to lie down in Arthur's tent. It wasn't big, but it wasn't too crowded either. John was extremely aware of Arthur being next to him, close enough to touch. Oh, and how he wanted to touch him. But he knew he couldn't. There was this barrier he'd built by leaving and that was now being held up and reinforced by Arthur and his stubborness. 

Suddenly it all felt suffocating. John knew that Arthur wasn't one to talk things out. And he himself wasn't exactly fond of the idea, either. But anything was better than feeling like this.

"Listen, Arthur," John started and immediately stopped again. Shit, what was he doing here?

"I'm listening." There was that amused tone again. Or annoyed. 

John took a deep breath.

"I know you hate me. But I just-"

"I don't hate you," Arthur interrupted. He didn't sound angry. He sounded surprised. And sad.

"But- I mean, I understand-"

"I don't think you do." Arthur paused. "It was really shitty of you to just run off like that. And I was very angry, I'm not gonna lie." Another pause. Talking like this seemed to be as painful for Arthur as it was for John. "Maybe I still am angry. But I know that there's no point."

"What do you mean?" No point? No point in what? To keep putting up with John's bullshit?

"No point in dwelling on the past." Arthur went quiet again and John waited for him to continue, allowing himself to feel a little bit of hope. "Because I have this feeling that there's a whole lot of trouble on its way and we have to focus on that."

"What trouble?" John frowned. He didn't like the sound of that.

"I don't know. It's just a feeling." Arthur didn't say anything else and John still knew him well enough to know when he was done with a conversation.

After a few minutes Arthur's breathing went slow and even. John was sure he was asleep. He turned on his side and looked at him. There was only very little moonlight making its way into the tent and Arthur's face was mostly in shadow. He was on his back with head turned to the side facing John. 

John felt his heart speed up as he reached out, not knowing why he was doing this. Ok, he knew, but he didn't think it was a good idea. He put his hand on Arthur's arm, feeling his body heat. He curled his fingers softly around Arthur's biceps, feeling the faded material of his shirt. He felt overwhelmed by being able to touch Arthur during a peaceful moment for the first time since, well, everything.

He remembered the times way back when they'd pulled off some job, had gotten some money and made camp somewhere before going back to the rest of the gang. Just the two of them, sitting by the fire, sometimes talking, sometimes not. John would reach into Arthur's jacket and get out a packet of cigarettes or he would put his hands under Arthur's shirt to warm them. Arthur would just let him do that, maybe act grumpy, but sometimes there was this little smile on his face. As if he was pleased that John just did that. And John knew that he was the only one who would get away with something like that.

Many little things that didn't seem like much back then went through John's head. There was nothing more he wanted to do than get closer and wrap an arm around Arthur like he'd done many times before. But he didn't dare. He knew he was lucky to have this. He closed his eyes.

\------------

When John woke up he was alone in the tent. It was still early and he felt a chill. He crawled out of the tent and saw that Arthur had built a small fire and was drinking coffee. 

John walked over to him and sat down by the fire, not meeting Arthur's eyes.

"Morning," he said without looking up. He felt anxious. Maybe he'd gone too far, he wished now that he hadn't reached out to Arthur. What good could come of that?

"Morning." Arthur sounded gruff, but as John recalled that was normal for him early in the day.

John glanced over and saw Arthur holding out a cup of coffee. He took it.

"Thanks."

"Mmh." That was all. But there was a little smile on Arthur's face.

They drank their coffee and for some reason John felt more at ease. Something had just shifted and he wasn't sure he understood it, but he didn't really care.

"We should get going." Arthur poured out the rest of his coffee and got up. 

They packed up their things. When Arthur walked by John towards his horse he stopped. He looked unsure for a moment. Then he put his hand on John's shoulder and squeezed. His head was tilted down and John couldn't see his eyes under the brim of his hat.

"I'm glad you're back," Arthur said. He looked up and into John's eyes as if he was searching for something. 

John wasn't sure if he found it. 

"Me too," he said. 

Arthur squeezed his shoulder once more and nodded. Then he let go and went on to his horse.

\------------


End file.
